Closing Updated on August 23, 2023
These eco nice yoga mat producers provide sustainable and non toxic yoga mats! Standard yoga mats are made with most likely harmful parts that could be robust to recycle. Instead, the following producers provide sustainable provides and ethical practices for a yoga mat you’ll be happy with.
This publish gives you 11 mannequin decisions for a non toxic yoga mat, along with options for the proper yoga mat for first rate yoga along with the proper non slip yoga mat. An eco nice yoga mat is an efficient solution to proceed your yoga observe at residence with out harming the environment — or your nicely being! — from using a mat that’s full of harmful and toxic chemical compounds.
the need for a sustainable yoga mat
Think about it or not, the yoga mat is a fairly new invention that started to catch on throughout the Eighties. Beginning in India, Yoga was first practiced on grass. Superior strikes required additional padding, so early yogis used deer and tiger skins for a lot of of their asanas.
Now, the standard yoga mat you’ll uncover in outlets is normally created from versatile plastic, aka polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Nonetheless, this supplies is questionable due to its environmental have an effect on (additional on that later) and is normally arduous to recycle.
Whereas in precept PVC is likely to be recycled, there must be a requirement for the raw supplies, or it gained’t be worthwhile. There’s moreover the difficulty of contaminants like plasticizers, dyes, and filth from fastened use that make PVC yoga mats undesirable to recyclers.
While you do already private a PVC yoga mat, try and upcycle it into under-knee padding for gardening or add it beneath a sleeping bag to extra soften a flooring. In another case, your solely possibility is to resolve on a sustainable yoga mat.
While you’re fascinated about discovering inexperienced yoga mats, there are a great deal of decisions to pick out from. I’ve rounded up the proper sustainable yoga mats obtainable in the marketplace. Merely bear in mind, using what you’ll have is always your best option!
the harm yoga mats set off
Many commonplace yoga mats are created from plastic, notably polyvinyl chloride (PVC) — aka plastic resin #3, which is hard to recycle.
The Environmental Security Firm (EPA) calculates that 910,000 tons of PVC waste are generated yearly, nonetheless decrease than 1 / 4 of 1 p.c is recovered for recycling.
PVC is chemically manipulated all through manufacturing to get that versatile plastic the commerce loves. Sadly, these parts and PVC’s inherent chlorine content material materials complicate the recycling course of for this plastic.
These chemical compounds usually embody phthalates, which have a controversial background and will have adversarial nicely being outcomes.
According to a newest look at, continuous publicity to phthalates can adversely have an effect on the endocrine system and the functioning of various organs. This may probably set off detrimental long-term impacts on the success of being pregnant, teenager improvement and enchancment, and reproductive strategies in every youthful kids and adolescents.
Whereas usually using a PVC yoga mat isn’t so unhealthy, chances are you’ll want to pick out a particular supplies within the occasion you’re ready to — like pure rubber, jute, pure cotton, or cork.
can you recycle yoga mats?
Not every recycling facility is ready to recycling PVC, so that you just’ll ought to double look at what your native recycling authorized tips say. You’ll be able to do that by visiting your native .gov or searching Earth911’s database.
It’s worth noting that PVC isn’t always a worthwhile supplies to recycle each — and recycling is a enterprise, in any case. If no person is fascinated about purchasing for the raw supplies, recycling companies will lose money and deem the material worthless.
There is a recycling program — Manduka’s LiveON program — the place you buy a model new Manduka mat and choose in order so as to add the LiveON program to your purchase. Whilst you acquire your new Manduka mat, merely place your earlier mat throughout the subject and fasten the included pay as you go supply label (they will accept any mannequin of yoga mat).
The mat will then endure a method of downcycling, the place it’ll get recycled into completely different merchandise like carpet padding, soles of footwear, or animal shelter bedding.
You possibly can too attempt upcycling or donating your earlier yoga mats. Reuse them on a picnic or on the seashore, upcycle them into teenager safety flooring, or attempt donating them to a neighborhood retirement group (numerous which run yoga programs and should use additional mats). Native artists can also accept them for use in paintings duties.
what’s probably the most eco nice yoga mat supplies?
In all probability probably the most eco nice yoga mat supplies is one which’s created from pure or recycled provides. The perfect supplies for you will rely in your non-public preferences, the underside house you’re working with (carpeted floor? outside?), and the kinds of exercises you’ll be doing.
Many of the producers listed in a while this publish have yoga mat decisions applicable for every indoor and out of doors observe.
Moreover, within the occasion you like to essentially really feel the bottom beneath you, go for a thinner mat. While you need a little bit of extra help, a thicker mat is most interesting. Nonetheless, bear in mind it’s solely a matter of need.
For first rate yoga, provides like cork are good — they’re odor-free, to begin with, on account of breathable flooring. Cork naturally inhibits micro organism, mould, and fungal improvement for regular hygiene security.
Some examples of sustainable provides for yoga mats:
- Jute: Jute is extracted from the bark of the white jute plant (Corchorus capsularis), and to a lesser extent, from tossa jute. Yoga mats made with all-natural jute are normally good for first rate yoga, and so they’re usually blended with Polymer Environmental Resin (PER) for extra grip.
- Pure rubber: Harvested straight from rubber bushes, Manduka’s eko line of yoga mats attribute 99% latex-free, non-Amazon harvested pure tree rubber.
- Pure cork: Pure cork comes from cork oak forests, the place the tree is never decrease down, and the bark grows once more. Scoria, Yoloha, and Urbivore all use cork of their yoga mats.
- Pure or recycled cotton: Pure cotton doesn’t use pesticides or fertilizers that may pollute waterways and harm soil. Recycled cotton ensures the resource-intensive cotton crop doesn’t go to waste by way of reuse. Oko Dwelling, Abhinehkrafts, and Brentwood Home use pure or recycle cotton of their mats.
- Recycled plastic: Recycled plastic has a smaller carbon footprint than virgin provides. Sugamats makes yoga mats from recycled wetsuits, which in another case could possibly be landfilled.
cork: a sustainable and non toxic yoga mat
People usually shock if cork is eco nice. The reply is bound, cork yoga mats are environmentally nice as prolonged as they’re created from pure cork. Pure cork comes from cork oak bushes predominantly grown in Portugal. These cork oak forests are hotspots for biodiversity and residential to various endangered species similar to the Iberian Linx.
Pure cork is harvested skillfully by hand by eradicating the tree’s bark. The tree is never harmed all through this course of, and the bark is allowed to develop once more and regenerate. The harvesting course of is likely to be repeated about every 9 years for over 200 years.
Plus, cork oak forests are vital carbon sinks, which help fight native climate change. A well-managed cork forest can take in over 20 million tons of CO2 yearly.
For these causes, shopping for a yoga mat created from pure cork is an environmentally nice chance — though there are a variety of various sustainable provides too, like pure cotton, pure rubber, recycled plastic, and so forth.
non-toxic and sustainable yoga mat producers
These 11 yoga mats get the going zero waste seal of approval. All of these producers provide yoga mats with out PVC, and most of them give once more to the planet by way of tree planting, recycling packages, and additional.
I’ve gone ahead and highlighted some key choices of each mannequin, nevertheless it certainly isn’t an exhaustive file. You must undoubtedly attempt their websites for additional knowledge.
To take care of your mat clear, I prefer to advocate making an attempt out my DIY yoga mat cleaner spray! It’s simple to whip up and non-toxic.
Moreover, within the occasion you’re a yoga fanatic, be certain that to replenish on some Tiger Balm. It’s useful to have within the occasion you unintentionally pull a muscle or get sore after a train. I always preserve a spare in my well being membership bag!
1. scoria
- Created from pure cork and sustainably harvested rubber
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Low have an effect on dyes
- Portion of proceeds goes to Correct to Play, an organization that empowers Indigenous youth
/ SHOP SCORIA /
2. oko residing
- 100% GOTS Licensed pure cotton
- Dyed with medicinal Ayurvedic plant dyes
- Non-slip pure rubber backing
- Ethically handwoven in India
/ SHOP OKO LIVING /
3. manduka
- EKo mat assortment created from sustainably harvested, non-Amazon tree rubber
- Biodegradable provides
- No PVC or harmful plasticizers
- Recycle your earlier yoga mat by way of their Keep On program
/ SHOP MANDUKA /
4. sugamats
- Created from recycled wetsuits
- Ship them your earlier wetsuit to be recycled, get a ten% low price
- Sugamat C2G: if one thing happens to it, merely ship it once more, and they also’ll ship you a model new one on them
- Made throughout the USA
/ SHOP SUGAMATS /
5. yoga tribe
- Pure tree rubber and jute yoga mats
- 1 yr different producer’s assure
- Eco and compostable packaging
- Free supply to NZ on orders over $100
/ SHOP YOGA TRIBE /
6. yoloha
- Sustainable cork flooring
- Plant foam created from 55% sugarcane
- Carbon neutral supply
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Youth, veteran, and nicely being care worker packages
/ SHOP YOLOHA /
7. gaiam
- Eco nice yoga mat decisions on the market
- Made with recycled, pure and sustainable provides like jute, cork, and pure rubber
- Excellent for first rate yoga
/ SHOP GET GAIAM /
8. jade yoga
- Created from pure rubber tapped from rubber bushes
- No PVC, EVA, or completely different synthetic rubber
- Made throughout the US
- Crops a tree for every mat supplied
/ SHOP JADE YOGA /
9. brentwood residence
- GOTS licensed pure cotton yoga mats
- Non-slip base of FSC licensed pure latex
- Native climate Neutral affiliate, to chop again and offset emissions
- Vegan and cruelty free
10. yogakargha
- Handwoven yoga mats from pure material like pure or recycled cotton
- Distinctive pure fibers like banana, grass, and wool decisions
- Pure rubber coating for anti-skid chance
/ SHOP YOGAKARGHA /
11. urbivore
- All pure, non-toxic cork yoga mats
- Little to no waste in manufacturing course of
- Each purchase vegetation a tree
/ SHOP URBIVORE /
faqs
which of these decisions is the proper yoga mat for first rate yoga?
As mentioned above, the proper yoga mat for first rate yoga is one which makes use of a material corresponding to pure cork. Of the above producers, I’d advocate Urbivore or Gaiam. Scoria and Yoloha could possibly be good candidates in your scorching yoga observe as correctly.
which mannequin gives the proper non slip yoga mat?
The perfect non slip yoga mat can have a backing on it made to take care of it common whenever you’re on it. YogaKargha, Brentwood Home, or Oko Dwelling are my options within the occasion you observe on a clear or slippery flooring and wish one factor with some endurance.
So, would you give one among these sustainable yoga mats a attempt? Let me know throughout the suggestions beneath!